L1 Intro to Polymer Chemistry

Macromolecule and plastic definition

Plastics life cycle

Levels of structure to polymers

Homopolymers, copolymers, polymer blends

SBR rubber, a triblock polymer

Glycogen - a branched polysaccharide

Arrangement of asymmetric monomer units (regioselectivity)

What is polymer tacticity and how do you describe the stereoregularity of a polymer

what are r and m diads.

what do atactic, isotactic, syndiotactic and heterotactic mean

What is polymer morphology

Amorphous vs crystalline

(don’t worry about fringed-micelle)

What are thermoplastics and thermosets

Fluid, glass and semi-crystalline morphology

How does temperature affect amorphous and semi-crystalline polymers

What is T_g and T_d

What does T_g depend on

T_g examples for these molecules

Factors affecting melting temperatures T_m and degree of crystallinity

Stress-strain curve

Describes how the plastic reacts to being pulled apart. Initially it will return to its original shape. Further on it will remain deformed and be much easier to pull apart, at which point it will break.

Yield strength is the maximum strain we can put on it and it returns to its original shape.

Ultimate strength is how far until it breaks.

Strain-stress plots for different polymers

Either rigid, flexible or elastic depending on their strength and ability to deform before they break.